Oklahoma vs Michigan prediction
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The gist
No. 10 Oklahoma visits Michigan on Saturday after a 51-0 win over UTEP.
Michigan escaped Western Michigan 13-12 and only 18% of fans polled back it to.
Background
Oklahoma heads to the Big House for Week 2 as the second game of a home-and-home series; the Sooners beat Michigan 24-9 in Norman last season on the way to a College Football Playoff berth. Michigan opened the Kyle Whittingham era by barely escaping Western Michigan, a 27.5-point underdog, on a Bryce Underwood Hail Mary in a controversially added final second, and was dropped from the AP Top 25. Oklahoma, ranked No. 10, beat UTEP 51-0 and held it to 198 total yards. The matchup pits Oklahoma's defense, led by head coach Brent Venables, against a Michigan offense that struggled in Week 1.
How it unfolded
- Sep 5, 2026Michigan beats Western Michigan 13-12 on a Bryce Underwood Hail Mary in a controversially added final second; Oklahoma beats UTEP 51-0.
- Sep 8, 2026FOX Sports publishes its Oklahoma vs. Michigan prediction and odds, listing Oklahoma at -215.
- Sep 11, 2026A Yahoo fan poll finds just 18% of voters think Michigan will cover; the spread moves from +5.5 to +4.5 on FanDuel.
- Sep 12, 2026Oklahoma visits Michigan in the Week 2 Big Noon Kickoff game on FOX.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- FOX Sports writes that recency bias has it down on the Wolverines and that nothing in the Western Michigan win suggests they can beat a team of Oklahoma's caliber.
- Bears
- Maize n Brew writes that if Michigan plays like it did last weekend it won't be a fun day in the Big House, and doubts Underwood turns it around against a top-10 team.
- Bulls
- Sporting News sides with Oklahoma because of its defense, while expecting Michigan to keep it competitive with its defense and run game.
- Public
- In a Yahoo fan poll, 18% of voters said Michigan would cover the spread against Oklahoma.
Still unverified
The Week 1 ending was described as controversial over a controversially added final second and a second Hail Mary attempt; accounts differ on the details. One report says Oklahoma beat Michigan 24-13 last year while another says 24-9. One report lists Oklahoma as No. 10 and another as No. 11.